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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. kid — child
  18. court — for sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. court — of a king
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com